


a sight for sore eyes

by terafonne (lexiconicality)



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-03 03:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8693992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexiconicality/pseuds/terafonne
Summary: alt titles: NEWT YOU SHOULD ACCEPT CANDY FROM STRANGERS or, how many ways can i describe a baked good or, is it a bakery au if the bakery exists in canon   It's almost closing time, and if the man in the blue coat follows his routine, he'll somehow disappear when Kowalski's not looking.





	

**Author's Note:**

> my search history rn: does food coloring exist in the 20s. history of icing. original 1920s baking recipes. popularity of tea vs coffee in 1920s new york. charities in new york in 1920s. how did bakeries package their food in 1920s. APPARENTLY A LOAF OF BREAD WAS 9¢ in 1930 MAKE OF THAT WHAT U WILL  
> fair warning yall none of this was conclusive so ill be making shit up as i go and taking inspiration from brian jacques' redwall cookbook.

Kowalski glances at the man in the corner as he wipes down the counter. It's almost closing time, and if the man in the blue coat follows his routine, he'll somehow disappear when Kowalski's not looking. The baker would call him a repeat customer but Blue Coat doesn't ever buy anything. He hums a little as he keeps cleaning, musing on how he'd suspect Blue Coat to be a particularly cocky thief were it not for the lack of anything missing, not to mention the man's tendency to linger at the end of the day, when the good stuff was gone and only burnt or stale leftovers remained. Besides, the bakery had a charity basket of extra tidbits one could take for free, as well as his regular donations to the local orphanages.

Kowalski looks up from the counter, expecting Blue Coat to have vanished without a tinkle of the door bell. To his surprise, the man is shifting awkwardly in front of him, fiddling with a Cinnamon Snake.

"Hello, can I help you sir?"

The man looks up, briefly, not meeting his eyes. "Yes, I'd like to buy, er, to pay for an occ-, for this, um..." He flounders, gesturing helplessly at the pastry in his hand.

"That right there is a Cinnamon Snake." Kowalski beams at a chance to explicate on his creations. "A favorite, 'specially with the little uns, they are. 'Cause of all the sugar coating, see?"

"Oh." Curiosity seems to have given Blue Coat some confidence, and Kowalski watches him lick his lips and glance up through that fluffy mop of hair. The mannerisms resonate within him, familiar somehow.

"I wasn't aware sugar came in blue?"

"Oh, it doesn't. I added the indigo." He braces himself, expecting Blue Coat to ask, as everyone does, _why blue_?

But Blue Coat just nods, blinking unfairly long lashes. Something about the afternoon sunlight glinting off his curls, or the way his not-quite-straightforward behavior accentuates the divots of his body, shadows coalescing in the hollows of his cheeks, under the edge of his jaw, at his throat in the nest of a loosened scarf -- something about it seems... magical.

Kowalski is abruptly aware that Blue Coat has been speaking.

"Pardon, I didn't catch that?"

"Could I...?" and he gestures with the pastry, cinnamon and crumbs sifting down.

"Yes, of course. That's 25 cents, but you can buy two from the Peculiar Pastries shelf and get a third for free."

"Oh, er, in that case, what would you recommend?" Kowalski smiles. He's glad to see Blue Coat getting more comfortable.

"Everyone who comes here says you gotta try a Jeweled Nibbler; they're right over here, usually, but even the burned ones sold out today." Kowalski brings out a cloth-lined basket. "Lucky for you, I've got some stashed away."

Blue Coat, whose English accent is now markedly more pronounced, has to swallow. "A Nif- A Nibbler?"

"Yep, because these scones are so dense and crumbly. Here, take a bite."

"But you must've been saving that for yourself, I really couldn't!" protests Blue Coat. He is, for once, making eye contact. His eyes are green.

Kowalski clears his throat, looks away. "Nonsense. I've made thousands of these by now. Now, take a nibble, and tell me what you think."

"Well. If you insist." He peers at Kowalski through his lashes, doubtful.

"I do."

A flush rises on Blue Coat's cheeks at having the whole of Kowalski's attention but he obediently  
places the pastry in his mouth. Kowalski beams when Blue Coat's green eyes widen with surprise and delight.

"I see you found the jewels," he says.

"That was excellent! You've got, what, chestnuts, cranberries, but they've got this crunch...?"

"And shredded pistachios. The crunch you got is 'cause I candy 'em with maple syrup a'forehand."

Kowalski glances at the clock. "Tell you what, since I was 'bouta close anyways-"

Blue Coat scrambled for a free hand to shove in his pocket and dig out some change. "Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry, and here I am keeping you from going home-"

Kowalski waves off his apologies and locks up. "Oh no, it was my pleasure, I assure you, why else would I put so much effort into them? Trust me, seeing you enjoy that was enough payment for me."

Blue Coat ducks his head further into his scarf but can't hide his reddening ears.

"Now, if you'll follow me back here, I've been making a new creation, let me just grab that," Kowalski wraps the Cinnamon Snake and Jeweled Nibbler in wax paper, "and here you go, I'm thinking of calling it the Triumphant Horn, since it's an alteration of the traditional cream horn, now where'd I put that, see those chocolate rolls on the table there, aha!, and then what I'm gonna do is take this orange cream and spoon it in here, and add a little strip of peel for zest, and there you go!"

"Oh," he breathes. "Are you sure I can pick that up? It looks very, well, quite delicate."

"Yes, that was part of the challenge, to make it strong enough it wouldn't collapse, but delicate enough to explode in your mouth." Kowalski watches expectantly.

"Oh, oh wow." His eyes close, savouring the cream horn in his mouth. "I've never had anything like this. Did you put in a spice?" He furrows his eyebrows thoughtfully, tongue swiping at his lips for traces, and Jacob feels his heart skip a beat.

"Ah, uh, yes, nutmeg. Er," he casts desperately for something to say that's not _wildly inappropriate and utterly scandalous_ , "Uh, by the way, Mr.-?"

"Newt Scamander."

"Newt, then, do you live in the area? I mean, ahem, considering your appreciation and taste sensitivity you'd be doing me a great favor if I could come to you for creative inspiration and objective gastronomic insight every so often. Preferably more often than not."

"What? Me? Most people, they think I'm annoying." A small, surprised smile curls on his face. He has dimples.

"Well. Most people, they don't know what they're missing."

"If I might ask, Mr. Kowal-"

"Jacob."

"-right, Jacob, why are you so nice? Why are you showing me all your secrets? You've only just met me." There's wonder and fondness in Newt's eyes, which is why Jacob isn't paying attention to what he's saying, and the truth slips out.

"Because I like you."

**Author's Note:**

> fjdkf theres so much meta going on in this. like jacob using blue coat instead of english guy because this time his first impressions are really visual, all the bits where their roles are reversed, and newt he wants that cream to explode in ur mouth ;) ;) ;))
> 
> also describing food is the ONLY ACCEPTABLE USE OF THE WORD MOIST
> 
> please leave a comment on your way out :)


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